Nothing tastes as heavenly as your morning coffee. Which roast are you going for today? One that comes from Balinese coffee beans sounds pretty tasty, doesn’t it?
What is Balinese Coffee Bean?
Amongst of various coffee bean types produced in Indonesia, there are the Balinese coffee beans whose distinctive flavor makes you come back for more. These coffee beans are popular for the sweet aroma and the fresh, sour taste that is very unique from other types of coffee beans. This feature is rooted in the land and the process of the whole production of Balinese coffee beans.
Produced in the Kintamani region, Balinese coffee bean plantations stand at an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level. On these highlands, the farmers grow coffee together with some vegetables and oranges.
This results in a natural fruity taste of Balinese coffee beans that are considered light on the flavor. Balinese coffee Luwak is one of the most popular brews loved by many who cannot handle the strong flavor.
Processing of Balinese Coffee Beans
Different from most types of coffee beans produced in Indonesia, Balinese coffee bean farming techniques do not come from Dutch. The local farmers practice their agriculture and irrigation system called Subak, a cultivation law that is passed down from generation to generation to maintain the authenticity of Balinese coffee.
Subak system requires the farmers to organically grow the coffee beans without the use of chemicals such as pesticides. This system also regulates the prices on the market, hence helping to maintain the welfare of the farmers. This unique way of plantation proves to maintain the high-quality Balinese coffee beans that are highly sought after in the market.
There are several traditional processing techniques implemented in Kintamani highlands, excluding the Balinese coffee Luwak method. The commonly used one is the wet process technique in which the fruit pulp is separated from the seeds happens before the drying out of the coffee beans. This results in light-colored coffee beans with quite a mild flavor.
Another method is the dry process technique in which as the name says, the entire coffee fruit is being dried before removing the seeds. The fruit skin typically will peel off naturally as the drying process takes about four to six weeks. This method produces a much more fruity taste with a quite lower level of acidity.
The other technique used by some farmers is the honey process technique in which a machine is operated to skin off the coffee fruit. This use of machinery produces coffee beans with a single layer of mucus remaining that will result in much sweet flavor, hence the name honey process.
Types of Balinese Coffee Beans
Balinese coffee beans are more popular by the name Kintamani coffee beans. Kintamani coffee beans are divided into two types which are roast coffee (Arabica and Robusta) and the Balinese coffee Luwak.
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Arabica Kintamani
Kintamani used to farm mostly Robusta coffee beans back in the day. However, the highlands started to rapidly grow Arabica coffee plantations since it is a well-known fact that Arabica is the best-selling product in the coffee industry.
Arabica Kintamani holds a sweet flavor with a soft touch of citrus and only a hint of spices. Arabica Kintamani coffee beans have strong bodies despite being medium-sized. The seeds emit more of a bold sweet aroma rather than a spicy one found in more common Arabica coffee beans.
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Robusta Kintamani
Robusta Kintamani has a strong flavor that is perfect for kicking off the day in the morning. Bold earthly bodies, buttery and nutty aftertaste, and a high level of acidity are the characteristics of Robusta Kintamani. If you can hold your coffee, a cup of Robusta Kintamani a day sounds pretty amazing.
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Balinese Coffee Luwak
Being one of many tourist attractions in Bali, the Balinese coffee Luwak holds a great reputation in the market of coffee commodities. Very unique compared to other Kintamani coffee, the Balinese coffee Luwak processing method involves a type of animal called Luwak in the local language (given in English).
A civet consumes the coffee fruits and later will produce intact coffee beans that are low in acidity thanks to the digestion process. The farmers will then collect the coffee beans and continue the cleaning and roasting process.
Balinese coffee Luwak originally comes from wild civets and takes quite a long time of processing, making it high in price. It takes a while to produce high-quality Luwak coffee beans since the wild civets only consume the ripest coffee fruits.
Grades of Balinese Coffee Beans
Similar to other types of coffee beans from across the world, Balinese coffee beans also come in grades. This grading may hold value for those coffee experts but not so much for common people who just love to enjoy a cup of joe.
- Specification
Grade 1 Balinese coffee beans are typically only 0.5% maximum in defect, with 2% black and broken coffee beans. These coffee beans hold 12.5% of moisture in maximum.
Grade 2 Balinese coffee beans have usually 1% foreign matter, with black and broken beans at 5% in maximum. These coffee beans hold up to 13% of moisture in maximum.
Balinese coffee Luwak beans are especially top-tier when produced by the wild civets rather than the caged ones. The difference in the environment in which the animals live contributes to the quality of the coffee beans coming out of them, and as result affects the sweetness of the coffee flavor.
- Taste
Grade 1 Balinese coffee beans will certainly have superior flavor from those of the second grade. This is typically true for coffee experts and is important for coffee companies. However, most people do not mind the difference in taste since the beverages usually used a mixture anyway.
Where to Buy Balinese Coffee Beans?
Many local suppliers in Indonesia offer good coffee, including Nusagro. Nusagro supplies only high-quality Balinese coffee beans, including the Balinese coffee Luwak, with a great pricing offer through their official website. Check out the page anytime you feel like purchasing top-tier Indonesian coffee beans.
More agriproduct informations, check Nusagro.
